Mullally to meet Pope Leo in landmark Vatican visit

Sarah Mullally will travel to Rome this weekend for talks with Pope Leo XIV, in a visit seen as symbolically significant for relations between Anglicans and Catholics, particularly over the contentious issue of women’s ordination.

The four-day trip, beginning April 27, will include a private audience at the Vatican and visits to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul, continuing a tradition of engagement between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church dating back to renewed ties in 1966.

Mullally, the first woman to hold the office of Archbishop of Canterbury, described the visit as a pilgrimage and expressed hope it would deepen dialogue between the two communions.

Her meeting with Leo is expected to project warmth and continuity in ecumenical relations, but it also underscores a longstanding theological divide. While the Anglican Communion ordains women, the Catholic Church maintains an all-male priesthood — a difference that has remained a major barrier to full unity.

The optics of the visit are likely to draw global attention, with Mullally expected to pray alongside the pope despite the doctrinal gap. The Vatican has already signalled goodwill, with senior Catholic figures attending her installation and Leo sending a message of support.

The visit carries additional weight as Mullally prepares for a planned trip to Africa in July, where sections of the Anglican Communion have resisted her leadership on the basis of her gender. Appearing alongside the pope widely regarded as a leading global religious figure may strengthen her standing internationally.

Both leaders have also found common ground on global issues. Mullally recently backed Leo’s calls for peace amid tensions involving the United States and Iran, aligning herself with the pope after criticism directed at him by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Despite decades of dialogue, key disagreements persist beyond women’s ordination, including differing views on the Eucharist and the possibility of shared Communion. However, both churches continue to pursue cooperation through theological dialogue, joint witness and humanitarian efforts.

A notable example of such collaboration came in 2023, when Pope Francis and Justin Welby undertook a joint peace mission to South Sudan.

While no similar initiative has yet been announced for Mullally and Leo, both leaders have indicated a commitment to strengthening ties. Mullally said the world “needs the peace, justice and hope” the churches can offer together — a message likely to frame discussions during her historic first visit to Rome.